IN THIS TYPE OF ANIMATION, THE ANIMATOR MUST MAKE EVERY DRAWING COUNT BECAUSE EACH ONE IS A SEPARATE IDENTITY - NOT AN IN-BETWEEN. (THE USUAL METHOD OF OUTLINING THE ACTION WITH A FEW EXTREMES AND THEN RELYING ON AN ASSISTANT TO FIT IN THE REMAINING DRAWINGS IS NOT USED). EACH MOVE OF THE ALLIGATOR HAS A QUALITY ALL ITS OWN AND MUST GROW FROM THE PRECEDING DRAWING.

DURING THIS FLIPPING REFERENCE TO A SERIES OF DRAWINGS, THE ANIMATOR MAY GO BACK AND CHANGE WHOLE ACTIONS IN THE DRAWINGS THAT LEAD UP TO THE DRAWING HE IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON. HE IS ACTUALLY WORKING ON ALL THE DRAWINGS ON THE TOP PEGS AT THE SAME TIME. (BOTTOM PEGS ARE NOT ADAPTABLE TO THIS TYPE OF ANIMATION AS FLIPPING AND DRAWING FROM THE TOP OF MOST DRAWINGS ARE DIFFICULT AND CUMBERSOME.)

WHEN THE ANIMATOR HAS COMPLETED THE SCENE OF THE ALLIGATOR BALLET ACTION, EACH DRAWING IS PHOTOGRAPHED TWO TIMES (2s) FOR A ROUGH FILM TEST (TWELVE DRAWINGS ARE VIEWED IN ONE SECOND ON THE FILM). HE THEN USES A REVOLVING-PRISM EDITING VIEWER OR A MOVIOLA PROJECTION MACHINE TO ANALYZE THE ACTION TO DECIDE WHETHER EACH FRAME FITS OR NOT. HE THEN MAKES ANY NECESSARY CHANGES. THROUGH THIS PROCESS OF ANIMATING AND FILM TESTING, THE ANIMATOR LEARNS HOW TO TIME AND SPACE THE DRAWINGS TO ACHIEVE THE PROPER SPEED IN EACH OF THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY ACTIONS THAT SIMULATE REALITY. HE WILL ALSO LEARN HOW MANY DRAWINGS ARE NEEDED TO REGISTER AND SEE ANTICIPATIONS, POSES, AND REACTIONS. ON FILM, YOU DO NOT SEE JUST ONE OF THESE ALLIGATOR DRAWINGS; YOU SEE THE SEQUENCES. NOTE: THIS PROCESS IS EXPLAINED IN GREATER DETAIL IN CHAPTER 5.

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Cartoon Animation (The Collector's Series)

by Preston Blair

" I've been in or near the cartoon business for 50 years and Preston Blair's "Cartoon Animation" played a big role in my education. "